Fire and Ice
by The Master of Balance
Summary: There are so many things different between a certain pair of two ninja. They are human and android. Yin and Yang. Fire and Ice. Yet it is of linked pasts and intertwined fates that bring Kai Smith and Zane Julien together, and bring out their true powers. AU. The events in this story happen after Rise of the Spinjitzu Master and before Rebooted.
1. Prologue

_Chapter 1: Prologue_

It was a cold day in January. A multi-terrain jeep rumbled in the snowy forests of Ninjago. The driver happened to be a strong-looking middle-aged man, with many scars and burns plastered all over himself from working at the Four Weapons blacksmith shop so much. In the passenger seat, there sat a little boy, who couldn't be much older than ten. He had short, spiky brown hair (though it looked more of a black tone from soot and ash since he liked working in the shop so much; especially by the flames) and unlike his father, the only scars visible were on his face: two notches right under his left eye, and one above his eye, cutting halfway into his eyebrow. How he got the scar was quite a story.

They had driven for twenty minutes in silence.

Finally, the boy tugged on his father's sleeve. "Daddy, where are we going?" he asked.

The father sighed. "To a place only I've ever been to. A place that I know from visiting so much. Ash, it's time I told you a few secrets." Ash was the boy's nickname due to his appearance.

"Tell me, daddy," Ash said with concern.

"All right, this is serious, so maybe I should not have called you by your nickname."

"Is it really that serious-"

"Kai," the blacksmith said sternly, keeping his eyes on the road. Kai was his true name. "Let me make this straightforward. You…"

He paused.

"…have an uncle."

Kai was silent for a moment.

"But daddy, you always told me you and momma were the only family we have!"

"I lied, son. I have three brothers. We are going to see the youngest one. I am the oldest of the four. My youngest brother lives in the snow, where he can focus more. He is a tinkerer, and a great mind. He has a son. Exactly the same age as you."

"Really?" Kai was getting excited.

But then his mood slowly changed. "But why can't Nya come see him?"

"She is too young to know," the smithy said. "Don't worry, your mother is there. And we are almost here." The blacksmith chuckled at his own joke as the two saw a large hollow tree in the distance. And the jeep started to approach it.

In that willow tree, the tinkerer raced around in a hurry. He tried his best to make the house look neat and organized. He didn't want to create a horrible impression on his brother, who would be coming in less than ten minutes, after a long time.

In all the fuss, another ten-year old walked in. He had whitish flat-top hair and had pristine, smooth skin.

"Father, what is all the fuss?" he asked.

"Zane, do you mind helping me tidy up the living room, please?"

But for the first time ever, the little robot looked adamant. Dr. Tinkerer Julien normally told him why things had to be done. But this time, the work came with no explanation, which Zane felt he needed before he could start.

"Father, please tell me why?"

"Not now, Zane Julien," Dr. Julien said sternly. "If we have time, I will tell you."

_Zane Julien. That must mean Father is being serious. He's never been this serious to me before. _Zane was a well-behaved child. What had gone wrong now? He began helping his father.

Thanks to Zane's quick work, they still had five minutes before they arrive. "I'm sorry about today. It's just that it's a very important day and I want to make it special. That's why I wanted to work first before explaining. Zane, do you remember me telling you about me being your only family?"

"I believe so," Zane said.

"Well, I'm not."

Zane gasped.

"Father you… you _lied _to me. I always thought you were an honest man."

"Everyone has their own secrets they have to keep. And lying is an effective yet ineffective way of doing it. I have three brothers, me being the youngest. The oldest brother is visiting us today; in fact, they will be here in less than five minutes. You will know more when he comes."

Dr. Julien kneeled down to Zane.

"I have something else to tell you too. My brother has a child exactly your age. He is coming too. I want you to be as nice to him as you can. I know you've never had a playmate before. But as it goes for everyone, remember…"

"…_don't tell anyone you're a robot. _I know father, I know."

"Good boy!" he said, wrapping Zane in a tight hug. "They will be here in exactly one minute two seconds, maybe longer. Zane, please go wear some nice clothes."

"Yes, Father."

Mr. Smith parked the jeep by the little hollow tree, and he and Kai stepped out of it. Mr. Smith suddenly grabbed Kai by the shoulders and looked at him, trying to be calm.

"Now remember Kai, you must be a good guest to my brother and his son. He may not understand things like your other friends do, back in Ignacia. Understand?"

"Yes, Dad."

"And remember, if he asks about the scar, don't tell him how you got it. I feel a little guilty for saying this, but we don't know if we can trust him yet. He has his secrets, and you have yours. Got it?"

"Yes, Dad."

Mr. Smith suddenly brightened. "C'mon Ash, don't be so dull! Is that how you greet one of your friends?"

Kai smiled a little. "No daddy," he said.

"C'mon, let's go." Mr. Smith walked right in front of the little wooden door, and Kai stood a few steps- actually _more _than a few steps- away from him. Out of shyness. _Will he like me? _Kai thought.

With rancor, Mr. Smith knocked on the door with two smart raps. A moment's pause, and then the door opened to reveal Tinkerer Julien.

Another pause. Then…

"Julien, is it really you?" Mr. Smith asked.

"Yes, oh yes it is, brother!" Dr. Julien cried. They both hugged each other, as if they had returned from a long journey. "You have changed so much…"

"Same to you."

"Hold on one moment… Zane, come meet your uncle!"

Zane obediently walked towards the door, yet with caution and shyness.

"C'mon, don't be shy!" Dr. Julien said, gently pulling him to the door. Zane tightly squeezed his hand as he looked at Mr. Smith. "This is Zane," Dr. Julien said. "My son."

"H-hello," he stuttered. "How do you do?"

"How polite!" Mr. Smith said. "I am pleased to introduce my son, Kai." Kai nervously walker beside his father.

"Hi," he said gently.

"Well hello to you too, my friend!" Dr. Julien said. "Now, why don't you two meet each other? Go on Zane, he won't bite."

"I know," Zane said. "He is not an animal."

Kai smiled. "Yeah, but I am pretty wild sometimes. Anyway, you already know I am Kai. You're Zane. What's up?"

"The ceiling," Zane replied plainly.

"I guess you could say that!" Kai said, smiling.

"Oh my goodness, you both are still standing in the snow. Come in!" Dr. Julien suddenly said, ushering the two inside. "I'll start a fire. Zane, maybe you could show Kai your toys while you're at it." Mr. Smith and Kai stepped in, and Dr. Julien closed the door.

"My room is this way," Zane said. Kai followed him through a small corridor. Kai could feel it sloping downwards. This led to a single doorway. Zane opened the door.

"My room," Zane said.

It was the neatest room Kai had ever seen, at least for someone his age. The desk was neatly in the corner, a wardrobe stood some feet away from it, and a four-poster bed stood on the other side. That was all that was there. Unless Kai counted the many posters of medieval Asia and the Elemental Samurai from a popular TV and comic book series plastered all over the room.

"Wow, your room is really neat!" Kai said. "It looks nothing like mine- it's a pigsty. Not literally a pigsty, but still."

"Thank you," Zane said.

"And I like the color of your room. Baby blue."

"I do not think this blue is for babies," Zane said. "It is calming to my mind. It is cool and serene."

"This shade is definitely not for babies," Kai agreed. Suddenly he noticed what was on the many posters. "You like the Elemental Samurai too?" He asked in excitement.

"Of course!" Zane said happily. "They intrigue and amuse me. My favorite is the Frosty Samurai. His ice powers are amazing, and he's a smart samurai."

"Really? Frosty is my second favorite! But Fiery Samurai has got to be the best. His attacks are so cool, and he's so caring for everyone."

"Fiery is a good samurai. As well as Earthly Samurai and Striking Samurai. And the Power Samurai," Zane added.

"You have the full collection of the minifigures too?" Kai noticed, looking at the wall full of them. "You've probably watched every episode of them!"

"I... don't have cable TV. I mean, my father has made one, but we never used even the TV itself. I get the comic books delivered every week." Zane motioned to the bookshelf, which was sure enough, filled with Elemental Samurai comic books.

"You're a true fan," Kai said. "Hey I know, wanna play a game?"

"A game?" Zane asked with a confused look on his face.

"I haven't seen you in what, fifteen or so years? How has it been?" Dr. Julien asked.

"Well, the Four Weapons haven't changed too much. The only thing that has, though, is the sign. One day, Wu gave me a map of where four elemental weapons were hidden. Said Garmadon had turned evil, so he needed to hide it. I had to put it under the sign since Kai would go ballistic about it."

"Kai sure has the aura of your uncle in him," Julien observed. "Fiery and impatient. Among other traits. They were the medieval warriors. In fact, I think that's what the Elemental Samurai were made after. Zane absolutely loves them. Just like my uncle. If you know what I mean, of course."

"Is that true? Kai loves them as well!"

"Ah, the good old days when Wu and Garmadon were still with us. It's a shame we were shunned from the family though. For not inheriting powers." Julien said.

"We were definitely the unlucky ones. I'm just happy we have twice the brain of Garmadon's."

"He definitely was the blunt one. Wu was the philosophical one. He'd throw quotes left and right, even while eating dinner. I miss them. But at least I can see you at last, brother!"

"At last," Mr. Smith said.

They talked some more.

Finally, Mr. Smith thought it was the right time to leave. "Well, as you know, this visit was a little unplanned. Let's set a date we can meet each other again."

"I DO have a falcon I need to finish making. I must say, it's one of the best I've ever made so far. I'm thinking it could be Zane's pet. Since I'm quite allergic to fur, if you haven't noticed. It'll be done by next Friday, no problem."

"I'm making a more current design of armor. It's supposed to be lightweight. Actually, I'm nearly done with it, so it will be done by next Wednesday. So how about you come to our house? If you don't mind the sweltering heat, that is."

"Not at all, not at all!" Dr. Julien exclaimed. "I must get my Vitamin C. Or D, I can't remember. And it's good to be in new environments."

"But what about Zane? Surely he is used to the cold!" Mr. Smith said.

"If Kai could adapt to our weather, He can adapt to Ignacia too."

"Point noted. Will Saturday work for you?"

"Certainly! Speaking of Kai, let's go check on the children now."

The two men left the living room and walked over to Zane's room. The door was closed, and unlike the quiet atmosphere of Zane's room, Julien could hear...

...laughter.

He opened the door- first just a crack, then a little more so both brothers could peek in. There they saw Kai and Zane playing a game with Zane's mini figures. They seemed to be very into it.

"Final duel- Fiery Samurai vs. Frosty Samurai! Who will win this battle?" Kai said.

"FIGHT!" both boys yelled.

"Frosty Samurai uses the Blizzard attack! Fiery Samurai now has 45/50 HP," Zane chortled.

"Oh yeah? Fiery Samurai uses Forest Fire! Frosty Samurai has 45/50 HP," Kai replied.

"Frosty Samurai gets a defense upgrade!"

"Fiery Samurai gets an attack upgrade!"

This went back and forth, and back and forth. "Let's not disturb them now, shall we?" Smith whispered. "They're quite immersed."

"Ah, yes," Julien replied. They continued watching the boys. Five minutes went by, and then both Samurai had only 5 HP.

"Sudden victory!" Kai cried. He spread out four cards, with white background. "Winning card is the winner."

"3… 2… 1… DRAW!" Zane declared. Both of them swiped a card from the middle.

Kai flipped his over. It said _Loser._

"Aw man…" he said sportively.

Zane flipped over his card.

It said _WINNER! _

"I win," Zane said.

"Congrats, Zane!" Kai said. "I won the first one, so it looks like we're even."

"Thank you," Zane replied.

Suddenly, both brothers stepped into the room. "Time to go," Mr. Smith said.

"Aw man, already?" Kai asked.

"But we were already having much fun!" Zane finished.

"Zane, I'll tell you something. We're going to go to Kai's house next Saturday so he can show you his toys. How does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful!" Zane exclaimed.

"Awesome," Kai agreed.

"C'mon Kai. We must go now," Mr. Smith said.

So Kai and Zane cleaned up his room. They both held their father's hands and walked to the front door.

"I'll see you later," Kai said. "It's been nice playing with you."

"Same to you," Zane said.

With the final goodbyes for the week said by both families, Kai and Mr. Smith hopped into the Jeep and sped off towards Ignacia.


	2. The Present

_Chapter 2: The Present_

_Five years passed by, and Kai and Zane were now 15 years old. Their paths had yet crossed again. But this time, they both had forcefully started a new leaf. Thanks to Dr. Julien, they both had no idea of what had happened to them before the age of 12. They only had a recount of the last 3 years (since the two had separately accepted their destinies as ninja). And even after a certain Nindroid had reached his True Potential and discovering his memory switch and turning it on, his view of only those three years changed, as he realized he had a creator. He still didn't know what had happened for the twelve years before. _

_ And it quite bothered him._

It was a calm morning on the Destiny's Bounty II, a flying ship which depended solely on wind. Sensei Wu was enjoying the beautiful breeze on the deck of the ship. Garmadon was not present; he was down at the Underworld to say his final goodbyes.

Zane emerged onto the deck, and by his expression, Sensei Wu sensed a bothering thought prodding his mind.

"Good morning Zane. What makes you look so puzzled?" he inquired.

"Sensei…" Zane began. "I am quite confused of something… my childhood…"

Wu began to pick up something. Zane normally did not speak in tangents. Being a Nindroid, he always spoke in full sentences.

He sighed deeply. "What about your childhood is bothering you?"

"I… cannot say," Zane replied.

"Do you remember what part of your childhood it was?" Wu asked.

"That's the problem," Zane said. "I cannot recollect a single thing from when I was under 12 years old. But why? I unlocked my True Potential, and my memories are supposed to be all back, but it seems not all of them are!"

"It's normal to forget about the past and focus on the present and future," Wu replied calmly. "Your mind will subconsciously bring back those memories. Do not fret, Zane."

Zane breathed out deeply. "Very well," he said. "Thank you, Sensei."

"You are welcome. Now, isn't your turn to make breakfast? You agreed to switch chores with Cole today."

"That's right!" Zane said. "I'll start right away." He rushed to the kitchen and started to make a meal.

Fifteen minutes later, three ninja came out onto the deck. Wu had returned below.

"Ah," Lloyd murmured. "It's nice going out into fresh air first thing, isn't it?"

"You betcha!" Jay said, stretching.

"I agree," Cole said. "But there should be five of us out here, like there normally is. Oh yeah, Zane and I switched chores today, so he's not here. But…"

The three looked at each other.

"Where's Kai?" they all asked in unison.

"Normally he'd be the second or third one up!" Jay said.

"Lloyd, could you go check?" Cole asked.

"Aw, why me?" he complained.

"Um… because you're the Green Ninja?" Jay said submissively.

Lloyd snorted. "Lame excuse," he muttered. "But I'll go get him anyway."

Everyone followed Lloyd back inside. Cole and Jay turned towards the dining room while Lloyd walked down to the dormitories. He opened the door to the ninja's makeshift dorms. There were five beds. There were three regular twin-sized beds- one in the middle of the room (Lloyd's bed) and two off to the side (these were Cole's and Jay's beds). Due to lack of space, on the other side of Lloyd's bed was a bunk bed. Kai slept on the top bunk and Zane slept on the lower. And sure enough when Lloyd looked up he could still see a writhing head of brown hair from his view.

Wait. _Writhing?_

He stood on his own bed to get a closer look. Kai _was _writhing. He was also mumbling some things too.

"…no," he began. "No… I can't… can't… do…"

Lloyd suddenly realized what was happening. "Kai wake up, you're having a bad dream!" Lloyd yelled.

Kai did not seem to listen. "No…" he murmured in his sleep again, albeit louder.

Lloyd climbed on Zane's bunk and shook him. "Wake up!" Lloyd shrieked.

"…can't… do it! I can't… be… the… greatest!" He was almost yelling now.

"KAI, WAKE UP NOW!" Lloyd screamed.

Suddenly, the brunette's eyes popped open and he sat up in his bed in shock, knocking Lloyd onto the floor.

He blinked, not bothering to look down.

"A… little… help… please…?" Lloyd said shakily, trying to right himself.

Kai suddenly looked at Lloyd. "Lloyd, how'd you end up down there?"

"I was trying to wake you up. Looks like I succeeded, but I got a couple bruises in the process," he finished.

Kai scrambled down the bed and helped Lloyd up. "I am SO sorry!" he said. "What time is it anyway?"

"It's 9:30. You were the last one to wake up."

Kai gasped. "What?"

"You were having a bad dream, duh," the green ninja reprimanded sharply. "Do you mind telling me what it was about?"

They both started walking to the dining area. "Well, I can't remember much now," Kai replied. "It was about working in my father's shop. I don't know why, but…"

He trailed off.

"But what?" Lloyd urged.

"I'll tell you all at breakfast. That is, if it isn't already finished."

"No one has even started, everyone's been waiting for you!"

As Lloyd said this, they had entered the dining area, and everyone had taken their places. Save Zane of course, who was almost done making breakfast.

"Good morning Kai," Cole said. "Hey, do you mind telling us what was going on UP THERE?" he asked with more stress on the last two words.

"Yeah, you postponed breakfast for five minutes. Five minutes!" Jay seethed. "I wanted my fluffy double decker chocolate syrup whipped cream pancakes five minutes fresher!"

"_Only _five minutes Jay, and nothing more," Zane said from in the kitchen. "Let him go, he must have been having a bad dream. Besides, I haven't finished adding the toppings on _your _pancakes, Jay."

"How did you-"Kai started.

"Yeah, yeah, bad dream, bad dream alright!" the blue ninja said loudly. "Since when has anyone here had a bad dream after Lloyd defeated the Overlord?"

"As I was saying-"Kai started again.

"That scene was horrific in itself. If you did have a nightmare, it would be nothing compared to-"

"AS I WAS SAYING," Kai yelled, casting a burning look at Jay. Jay pouted and turned away from Kai. "How did you know I had a nightmare, Zane?"

"It just seemed like you had one," the ice ninja replied, stepping out of the kitchen. "By the way, the pancakes are ready."

"CAKE!" Cole shouted with glee.

All who were present looked at Cole with puzzled looks.

"Pan-CAKES! Get it?"

Everyone sighed. There was absolutely no stopping the food glutton of the ninja family.

"Cole, your double order of panCAKES," Zane said, setting them down in front of him.

"YUMMY!" he squealed. "And Zane actually caught on to my joke!"

Jay rolled his eyes. "Those pancakes don't even have chocolate syrup on them!" he said. "How can he even digest those plain? They don't even have syrup on them!"

"Cole probably has a different taste than yours," Lloyd figured. "We should all be respecting each other, not throwing snide remarks left and right." He started to observe the whipped cream and syrup on his pancakes- he had asked Zane to make himself what he had made Jay, but with caramel syrup. Zane placed Jay's pancakes as well.

"Let us eat in peace," Sensei Wu finally spoke. Zane set down a regular stack of five pancakes on his space, drizzled with a little bit of honey.

"I agree, boys," Nya backed, starting to cut into her pancakes, topped with syrup and butter.

Zane put down Misako's pancakes as well (they were topped like Wu's), then he went back into the kitchen to get Kai's pancakes, as well as his own. Misako smiled at Zane as he was walking back, and Zane returned the favor.

Zane returned and set down their pancakes. He had topped his breakfast with fresh fruits and a dollop of whipped cream. Kai also had fruits and whipped cream on his, except he had asked for lots of cinnamon and a little chocolate syrup on his as well. Nobody completely understood why he liked cinnamon on his pancakes.

"Thanks, Zane," Kai mumbled, cutting into his fruity meal.

Zane sat down next to his fiery friend and noticed he was a little more dull than usual. He cut a slice of his own pancakes and ate it, savoring the flavor and chewing thoughtfully. After he had finished his first bite, he whispered to Kai, "Would you like to meet in our new room after breakfast?"

"Sure, why not?" Kai whispered back. If anyone could understand his dream, it would be Zane.

The ice and fire ninja quickly finished their breakfast and started to leave the table; however, Wu would not let them go off so easily.

"What seems to be the rush?" he asked.

"Kai and I wish to discuss personal matters with each other in our room," Zane answered.

"Very well," Wu said. "But I expect both of you back in ten minutes; I would like to start training you all again, and maybe start talking about… getting jobs."

"I'm really sorry Sensei, but I didn't hear that last word correctly. Did you say getting lobs? Because I'm already pretty good at tennis," Jay said.

"That would be _getting jobs _Jay, thank you for asking."

Jay groaned and started blabbering a hundred reasons why he didn't want a job (starting with video games) as the brothers walked to the shared room.

When they entered, Zane shut the door behind them. Their new room was divided up into two sections; one for Zane and one for Kai. (At the moment, the pairings were experimental; Cole shared with Jay, Lloyd and Nya had their own smaller rooms. If all went well, Wu would allow them to keep their rooms.) Reminiscent of their childhood years, Zane's half of the room looked conspicuous, while Kai's side was a hot mess (pun intended). The ninja sat on the king-sized bed they shared.

"You're probably going to ask what my dream was all about, right?" Kai asked.

"Yes, that, and also I wanted to ask you something else as well," Zane replied. "How much of your childhood do you remember?"

"Well, I remember everything in vivid detail until I was twelve. I don't remember anything before that."

"Not even traces of anything before twelve?

"Weirdly enough, no. It's like my memories suddenly started… working again after I was twelve."

"Don't you think that's quite peculiar?" Zane suddenly asked.

"Well, I never really thought about it. Why'd you ask me that?" Kai suddenly shot back, getting a little irritated by Zane's quick responses.

"I- Well, to put it simply, only a small fraction of my memory was restored after my True Potential. That is what I concur. I only remember myself being built by my father and waking up again, in this body. But that's mostly all."

"Oh. Well, that's odd," Kai replied more calmly. "Well, I was thirteen or so in my dream, and it was just me and Nya- It's always been that way, as far as I remember. I was trying to perfect building a shield. I messed one part up, and then I went berserk. I was nearly in tears. I saw my dad's ghost, and he was… _encouraging _me. Yet no matter how much I tried, I- I- I couldn't do it. I was about to throw a bucket of saltwater at my dad. And that's when Lloyd woke me up."

"Isn't it such a coincidence that both of us remember only the past three years of our life, and nothing more?" Zane queried.

"Well, we don't know if it's just us," Kai objected. "We'd have to ask the others to see if their memories vanished too."

After a slight pause, Zane noted, "We should probably be going; Sensei would be waiting."

So, they both walked back to the dining area. This time, Cole was absent; he was doing Zane's job for today, which was washing dishes.

"Jay," Kai suddenly asked. The blue ninja quickly turned around in alarm. "Do you remember what happened in… uh, I don't know… your fourth birthday party? Please tell me! Please!"

Jay hid his face. "That was the most embarrassing thing ever! I don't wanna tell you! Why do you even ask? Yeah, why should I tell you? It's none of your freaking business anyway!" He scrunched up into a ball on his chair

"Jay, please. We're trying to conceive a cause for a certain problem, and we would really appreciate your help," Zane pleaded.

"Fine," Jay muttered. "Well… myoldfriendnamedKobeshovedmeintothecakeasIwascuttingit. That'showIcutoffalittleofmyeyebrowANDitmademybirthdayoneofmymostmemorableinabadway. Don't. Ask. AGAIN." He whimpered, looking away.

Zane and Kai shared confused looks with each other. "That is odd. Jay remembers his birthday," Zane whispered. "I don't even remember reaching four years of existence."

"Let's ask Cole if he remembers anything," Kai said.

They walked into the kitchen and saw Cole doing the dishes. "Cole, is it okay if we asked you a question about your childhood?" Zane asked.

Cole seemed to not be making note of Zane's words. "Uh, sure, as long as it's not embarrassing," he replied.

"When did you learn the Triple Tiger Sashay?" Zane inquired.

"Oh, that! Hehe. Ummm… that would be when I was six," Cole replied.

"How did you fare?" Zane persisted.

Cole set down the dish he was washing in the sink and looked back at the two. A serious look had crossed the earth ninja's face. "I did terrible, of course! I couldn't even get past the first person. My father said I could have done better for a first-timer. He even considered not trying to teach me again."

Cole's voice was shaking now.

"But thanks to my persistence…"

"Oh no, we didn't mean to! Sorry Cole, and thanks!" Kai intervened. "Let's go," he whispered to Zane.

Cole returned to normal and pushed that memeory (pun intended) out of his head as Kai and Zane walked out of the kitchen. "Uh… you're… very… welcome?" he said in a confused sort of way. "Gee, wonder why they needed to ask." He picked up the next dish and started scrubbing again.

"Let us now ask-" Zane said.

"It's no use," Kai interjected. "Asking him of his childhood wouldn't help anyway since he was affected by Tomorrow's Tea."

Suddenly, Kai had a lightbulb moment.

"Hey, do you think maybe the Tea had something to do with it?" he asked.

"Then it would have affected everyone else as well," Zane said. "Or it should have affected just me."

Kai cocked an eyebrow. "And why should it have affected only you?" he questioned.

"I am a Nindroid, do you not remember? My body could have reacted differently than yours."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

"But this memory loss is only prevalent in the two of us. Which rules out Tomorrow's Tea."

Kai sighed. "If it isn't Tomorrow's Tea, then what is it?" he thought aloud.

"Maybe once we get jobs off our mind, it will become easier to contemplate," Zane figured.

"Good idea. Let's go to the living room now. We'll talk later."

The two boys walked off to the family room.

Still unaware of the link bonding them.

**(Hey guys! Sorry I updated so late! Thanks for giving me reviews on the first chapter of this story! I normally **_**never**_** get reviews, so you guys make me happy. :]**

**What do you want the next chapter to be? Should it be more about their past or continuing in the present? I have ideas for both but can't choose one to settle on. It's up to ****your**** reviews to determine the flow of this story.**

**Again, thank you so much for reviewing! Hope you have a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Sunday and thanks for reading! Can't wait to see the potential of this story blossom! ;D)**

**UPDATE: AAAAAHHHHH! It's been so long, and I'm rereading this now… I think the content's great but there were SO MANY PLOT HOLES THIS CHAPTER. D: Like, how the ninja have TWO bedrooms for no apparent reason. Oh well, I fixed it. Gotta fix everything else, too.**


	3. The Fork in the Road

_Chapter 3: The Fork in the Road_

_**(I would just like to warn all emotionally fragile readers to not read the Past section. It is filled with sadness and tragedy. I even cried typing it.**_

_**Again, exercise care reading the Past section.)**_

Present

"Jobs, jobs, jobs," Wu began. "All five of you need to figure out what you will do for a living. Ninjago will, of course always need ninja, but maybe not every day. The job you take needs to be flexible and should at the same time use your time constructively."

"Ooh, ooh, I have one!" Jay said excitedly. "Can I be a video game programmer? I can invent video games too!"

"If you are able to pass the interview, yes," Wu replied.

"Yippee!" he shouted.

"Cole, what about you?" Wu questioned the black ninja.

"I could become a dancer for a living," Cole suggested. "I wouldn't need to learn anything more, I could just hop right into it."

Then, he remembered a memory from when he was 10. "_You will never be a dancer if you don't flow your movements!" Lou reprimanded after one of his performances._

Meanwhile, something clicked in Kai's mind, but he wasn't sure what.

"Okay… well, I'd need to review some things before that," Cole corrected.

"I'll go work in the comic shop!" Lloyd chirped.

"Are you sure that's a constructive use of your time, son?" Garmadon asked.

"Of course. I would be helping all the children who like comics and stuff but don't have a TV to watch it."

There was a flicker of memory in Zane's head, and then it subsided as quickly as it had come.

"Kai, what about you?" Garmadon queried.

"Gee, uh… I don't know, actually," he murmured honestly.

"'All for a samurai, but none for a ninja?'" Wu quoted.

"I see what you're playing at. Fine, I'll be a blacksmith again. It was kinda boring, but I don't know what else to do, so… I'll go back to the Four Weapons."

"Zane, did you have anything on your mind?"

"No Sensei, I don't," he replied.

"Then I suggest you work in Ignacia with Kai," Wu suggested.

"Okay, fine with… wait, what?" Kai spluttered.

"What!?" everyone else, including Zane exclaimed.

"'Iron sharpens iron, as brother sharpens brother.'" Garmadon stated.

Silence.

"I don't get it," Kai admitted.

"Perhaps you will when you get there," Sensei Wu said.

"Where will I go?" Nya asked.

"I suggest you work with Jay, as your skills might be helpful in his area as well."

"All right!" Jay cheered.

Nya blushed, before looking to her older sibling. "Jay…"

Kai sighed. "I have nothing against it, I guess," he said, giving in. "If Sensei says so, then that's where you'll go. Jay, make sure you take good care of my sister!"

"Of course I will!" Jay replied.

"You will all leave next Monday," Garmadon added.

"Wait, you mean I can't stay here?" Lloyd asked his father.

"If you will be working in the city, I suggest you find an apartment there," his father replied curtly. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find someplace safe to live in."

"Now, everyone please do start packing!" Wu declared, and the ninja ran back to their rooms.

In Kai and Zane's room, Kai paused for a moment while opening his suitcase.

"Zane, do you think Sensei knows of this?" Kai asked.

"Yes. I told him about my memory loss this morning."

"No, I don't mean that! Like, don't you think he's hiding something? Making you come with me was an odd choice."

"True," Zane admitted. "He did try to hide the scroll of the Green Ninja. But that was to prevent us from greed. But I think whatever Sensei says, regardless of if he knows our situation or not, is what I think we should follow."

"I wasn't having any problems with you tagging along in the first place," Kai muttered.

Nighttime soon fell, and the ice and fire ninjas' room was almost completely barren. The two long lost brothers fell into a deep slumber, side by side.

Past

Ignacia happened to be a hot, desert climate. But as one approached the Four Weapons blacksmith shop (which also doubled as a house) closer and closer, it got hotter and hotter. In fact, the house was burning hot.

Burning.

The blacksmith shop was in flames. Four of the six people who were in the shop had escaped safely, but nothing could be done about the latter two.

It had all started when one of the cinders from the fireplace floated up in the air and somehow landed on the gunpowder in the basement, the very day Dr. Julien and Zane had come for a visit. As expected, the powder exploded and within minutes, the bottom half of the house was in flames.

The first of the four figures was eight-year old Nya.

"HONEY, THE BASEMENT IS ON FIRE!" Mr. Smith yelled to his wife. "GET THE KIDS OUT OF HERE!"

"Oh my god…" Ms. Smith whispered hoarsely. "Oh my god…" She suddenly spotted Nya, coming down the stairs with a blunt kiddie wooden dagger. "Hey guys, come and get me!" she called.

"Nya… NYA SWEETHEART, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!" Ms. Smith screamed.

"Mommy, why?"

"Nya, no questions, please! Just… JUST GO!"

But Nya was rooted to the spot. When Ms. Smith saw there was no moving to Nya, she picked her daughter up and put her outside the house, slamming the door behind her. At this, Nya welled up in tears. "MOMMY, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! MOM? MOOOOOOOOOOOM?!"

Now, Dr. Julien was in the sparse garden, adoring the flowers, until he heard Ms. Smith scream. Immediately, he knew something was deathly wrong. He ran inside of the house and found it to be extremely hot. Then to his horror, the door to the basement suddenly flared up like a furious lion. Immediately, his main priority was to get his son out. He began his way towards the stairs, but was stopped by Mr. Smith.

"Please Julien…" he said. "I will get them safely."

"What happened?"

A tear slid down Mr. Smith's cheek. "The house is on fire. On fire, brother. And at least one of us needs to make it out of here alive. Tinko, listen to me. If Maya and I don't make it out alive, please… please take good care of my children. Especially Kai."

"Ray, what in Ninjago are you risking your life for now? I'll get them. You're injured." It was true. His ankle was twisted and he still hadn't quite recovered.

Ray gave Tinko one final look- a forced smile and a determined look in his eyes. Immediately, Tinko Julien could tell what he was saying.

_Please._

So Tinko just stood there- just for a moment- as he saw Ray disappear out of view. Suddenly, fire came spewing from the kitchen into the hallway Julien was standing in, nearly burning him. He bolted to the front door and with surprising force, kicked it down which unfortunately scared all the living daylights out of a sore-eyed Nya, making her pass out.

"My niece!" Dr. Julien shouted in worry and sadness, running over. "Do not worry. You're all right." He picked up Nya and cradled her tightly, looking at the conflagration before him. If Ray kept his promise- no, _by _his brother's promise- the boys would have to be out in a matter of minutes.

On the second floor was where the boys were. It was exactly ten seconds after Nya was kicked out that Zane began sensing that something was very much off. A minute when both boys, playing a battle, knew something was very, very wrong. Three minutes before they began feeling the warmth, spreading throughout the small top corridor. And five minutes when Mr. Smith burst into the room.

"BOYS!" he screamed. The fire wasn't far behind; it had not come all the way up the stairs.

"Uncle! What seems to be the matter?" eleven year-old Zane asked.

"The house is on fire," Mr. Smith whispered.

Both the boy's eyes widened. "Seriously?" Kai, also eleven, murmured.

"Yes, seriously. It is right there!" Zane screamed, pointing to behind Mr. Smith. Indeed, the licking flames had almost reached the room of Kai's and was creating an archway. Mr. Smith looked back in terror, analyzing the arc. Then reality dawned on him. There would be room for only one and a half people to fit through, and then it would close up.

Only one boy could survive.

Kai and Zane seemed to realize this just seconds after Mr. Smith did. Only one of them would definitely make it out alive, but who? Mr. Smith didn't have the time to make two trips either, considering his current status. But it seemed clear for one of them.

Zane felt a nudge from behind him. He stood still.

"Go."

Zane didn't move. Then he was pushed, almost shoved, towards Mr. Smith. He looked back and saw it was Kai who had pushed him.

"Kai, what are you doing? Y-you go!" Zane stuttered. "I… I cannot…"

Kai smiled bravely. "Trust me Zane, you should go. Make us proud when you grow up."

"Kai! You two go. Please," Mr. Smith interrupted.

"No Dad, it has to be you and Zane. I can't lead him out of the fire. We'll probably both die. If you go though, then Zane could be saved!"

Tears began to stream from the android's eyes. He desperately wanted to tell Kai what he really was. But his words only came halfway up his throat. "No Kai, it should be me! I'm…"

"You're my cousin brother. And I'm a Smith. If there's one thing about us, it's that we would sacrifice everything for the ones we love. Zane, you should go. You… you have so much potential. You…" At this point Kai's first tear coursed down his cheek. "…are a genius. There aren't many like you in the world."

Zane was about to put it into different words until he looked at the fire and analyzed it. It was somehow _too _hot, even for an android to survive in, and he could feel his artificial skin peel, and in some places, blister and little spots of metal started showing through.

"You deserve it, Zane. I'm…" Kai faltered. "I've always wanted to have a little brother. If I did, I'd imagine he would be like you. It… Zane, you _have _to go. You already have so many plans for the future. A doctor, yeah? Not something anyone in Ninjago can do! And me… I'm not that smart or valuable, and my potential has always been, and will, always a blacksmith. A common job anyone could do in Ninjago. I'm just a Smith that never quits. When all this is considered, it's kind of obvious which of us should go…" The flames reached the room and the gap became slightly smaller.

"And Zane…"

Suddenly, Kai eyed the blisters of metal on Zane. At that moment, he realized who Zane really was. Or at least he had a big hunch. It accounted for his formality. His smartness.

His naivety.

"… I know everything now. You're… you're…"

If Zane remained, he would obviously die. But Kai began to see hope for himself.

"…you're different," Kai whispered softly.

Zane completely broke down in sobs and started to hug Kai. Then he remembered the blisters, and jumped away.

"I don't care who you are anymore. We're just brothers," Kai added, grabbing Zane into another hug.

Zane hugged him harder, wracking sobs. Kai feebly hugged him back, tears running as well, but he smiled warmly and with resolve.

"Go," Kai said. "Show Ninjago who you really are."

Mr. Smith forcefully gave a little smile at his only son. His only son. All the hard work he'd done, all the maturity his son had gained from taking care of Nya and Zane. He'd grown up too fast- as if he was a thirty-year old in a teenage body. So fast that… he was accepting his death.

The father tried finding good words for his son, but he couldn't think of anything to say. It was as if he was talking to an elder. "Son, I'm so sorry, but I was always so proud of you, and now is no different. Thank you. This is such a cruel fate you forced yourself into but for that… we will always, always remember you. I don't want to do this, but… but…" Now the father rushed forward and hugged Kai quickly, the tears of father and son mingling into one. Then he quickly picked up Zane and gazed at Kai once more. He suddenly flinched towards him…

…but was pushed back with the greatest force he'd ever bore. Through the arch.

"GO DAD, GO! NOW!" Kai screamed.

Startled by these words, Mr. Smith ran quickly through the gap, just as the flames quickly closed into Kai's room and cornered him by a window.

The flames only inched closer, but Kai was calmer now. The fire felt almost comfortable, actually. Maybe it was because he knew he would die. Because he had accepted his fate.

A window…

A ray of hope. It was a fifty-fifty chance, looking at the state he was in. But it was better than this.

Kai took a deep breath, and opened the window, welcoming the warm sun, and the light breeze. Then, climbing up the sill, he nimbly pitched himself down two stories down to the hard dirt below, just as the house exploded.

A few seconds before, Mr. Smith had set Zane down, who'd crumpled next to Dr. Julien, sobbing his heart out.

"Zane, you're safe!" Dr. Julien said in joy. "But… where's Kai?"

Zane looked up at his father. "Kai is… is…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, and Zane began to cry again, as Mr. Smith hopped back inside the house for his wife. Julien realized what Kai had done. For his son. It was then he realized that Kai and Zane were truly close friends- each other's ONLY friends- and Kai had meant the world to his son. They may have been completely different, but that was what kept them together so close- especially just after 1 year.

But it was too late. The Four Weapons Blacksmith Shop exploded (seemingly) taking all the Smiths with it, and completely ripped out the top floor and leaving onlookers in a flurry of smoke.

Despite being a robot, Zane fainted, and did not wake up for a long time.

"Zane…"

"Hello…"

Zane's robotic eyes popped open. He appeared to be in a wheelchair in a waiting room, and a nurse stood in front of him. That meant he was in the hospital. And his father and Nya were probably being checked.

"Android, huh?" the nurse asked.

"Y-yes," Zane said in shock.

"Your father will fix you when you get home. He's fine. He was in a bit of shock, but nothing too serious."

Zane managed to ask the nurse, "How is Nya doing? The girl?"

"The girl is doing all right. She has no major injuries, sir. Just a couple scrapes and cuts."

"Is anyone else here?"

It was a moment of tension before the nurse spoke.

"Well… yes, someone else," she replied tersely.

"Who?"

Surprised by the sudden audacity in the android's voice, the nurse replied, "A boy around your age, I suppose…"

"A boy?"

"Yes. Spiky brown-black hair, brown eyes, three scars by one of them…"

Zane's robotic heart skipped a beat. "Kai," he whispered.

"What was that?"

"My brother… he's here? Alive?"

"Ah… alive, we're not sure. He broke some ribs and fractured his right foot and left arm. On top of that, he's suffered a serious concussion. He's in the emergency ward right now and at the very moment is being treated by our best doctors. It looks like he fell a couple stories onto the hard dirt and rocks. The chances of him surviving are a little over-"

Calculated faster than the nurse could read, Zane finished. "20%."

He started crying again, this time completely losing his formality. "No… no! It can't be! Kai… you… you IDIOT!"

"Please don't scream sir, you will pass out. If you wish, you may see your father and your cousin sister. I'll take them to you."

Zane calmed a little. "That would be nice… thank you."

The nurse took the wheelchair and steered Zane into the fifth door down the gloomy corridor. There he saw his father, alive and well. "Zane!" he cried in happiness.

"Father," Zane replied. He put a mangled hand towards his father's human one and he grasped it tightly. Dr. Julien returned it.

"Did… did Uncle and Aunty Smith make it?" Zane asked suddenly, without thinking.

"We're very sorry, sir. We tried everything, but there was nothing we could do about them. They passed."

Immediately Zane cried again, this time for his cousins. How would Nya and if he made it- IF he made it- Kai react to this? It would probably be very devastating to them. The mere thought made him cry more.

"There, there…" Dr. Julien murmured. "They died with honor. They went down with the shop, doing whatever they could. This was not in vain."

"I hope not," Zane replied.

"But be positive! Nya is alive and there is hope for your brother… just hope, Zane. I know you both are very close. Hope he will make it. That Kai will prevail. You know that hope can change anything, yes?"

"Thank you, Father," Zane replied.

"I will now take you to see Nya," the nurse said.

"Yes."

Nya's room was right next to his father's. Nya opened her eyes as Zane walked in. "Z-Zane!" she screamed. "Zane! Where-" Nya's dialogue was interrupted by a fit of coughs.

"I forgot to mention. She- ah- has chest pains, and we think it may be trauma-related," the nurse added.

"Where's mommy and daddy?" Nya asked quietly.

Immediately, Zane felt very guilty and felt like crying again. Nya had not seen the house on flames- she had already fainted. _Resolve yourself, Zane, _the robot told himself.

Zane forced a smile. "Mommy and Daddy are-" he touched Nya's chest. "-right here."

Nya didn't understand. "How? Did they shrink?"

Zane knew that if he had to say it directly, it might as well be complicated. "Nya, your parents no longer exist on Earth."

Somehow, this time Nya understood and she started to quiver. "Mommy and Daddy are… dead?"

Zane nodded, very slightly.

"Mommy, Daddy. Mommy… Daddy…!" Nya collapsed and covered her bruised face with her hands and sobbed quietly, coughing every few seconds or so.

Then Nya managed to say, amongst the tears, something inaudible.

"What was that?" Zane questioned.

"Brother… too…?" she asked bravely, now.

Zane managed a smile, remembering what his father had told him. "He still has a chance. He's too young to die."

Nya managed a smile as well. "Thank… you…" she murmured. "But WHY? WHY MEEEEEEE?" She began to cry again, and her sobs slowly began to decrescendo until she passed out again.

"I don't think I should have said that… should I," Zane muttered, hanging his head.

"She would have asked at one point or the other anyway," the nurse replied. "It could have been worse. It's mild trauma, so she will get over it."

"What is this trauma?" Zane asked.

"Pain. Emotionally and physically, basically."

"Oh. Does Kai have trauma?"

"Lots of it," the nurse replied. "But like your father said, there is still hope. Any level of trauma can be cured in time. No more questions, and let's get you to your room." The nurse wheeled Zane into the room next to Nya's, and helped him onto his bed. "We're going to do a couple of scans on you anyway, because your body is built like a humans. Now, drink some of this."

"What is this liquid?"

The nurse stopped, wondering how she would explain liquid anesthesia to a little robot. Then, she smiled, having an idea.

"It's called Hope Juice. If you drink it, it will increase your chances of meeting your brother again."

"Really?"

"Really, sir. Go on, drink it."

So Zane drank it and felt himself getting sleepy. He closed his eyes and once again did not open them. His mind drifted away, with his final thoughts were hopes of seeing Kai.

The Yang to his Yin.

Zane woke up six hours later. It was almost midnight. The nurse once again towered over him.

"Ah, you're awake," she said. "Come in the wheelchair. You've been discharged. Feeling better?"

"Much better." Zane obeyed with a Duchenne smile, sliding himself in. The nurse took him to a single pair of double doors at the very end of the room. They had no windows at all, and it was labeled _Examination Room. _Near the door, he saw Dr. Julien and Nya, also in wheelchairs.

The smile turned into a frown. "Why are we here?" Zane asked.

"Your brother is in there," Dr. Julien said solemnly.

"H-hope," Nya said.

And silently the three of them did. They hoped that Kai would be okay.

Two hours passed. Then a doctor stepped out, with his head down.

"I must talk to the three of you alone."

They all looked up.

"The boy's chances of surviving…"

A deathly silence filled the hall.

"…is very slim."

Zane and Nya gasped in horror, and Nya reached for Zane's hand. He took it, and grasped it tightly.

"We could fix his ribs, but he has not became conscious yet. We think he may be in a coma."

"Are you sure, Doctor?" Dr. Julien asked, quivering as he spoke.

"Like we have said, he could be, bure to his irregular heartbeat. Further tests have to be executed. But we know that we cannot save his leg or his arm. They have been fractured far beyond our repair. They must be amputated. And that itself will be a very delicate process."

Dr. Julien put his hand over his mouth. Zane desperately wanted to know what the word _amputate _meant. But he could tell it was a very, very bad thing.

It felt like a pair of eyes had cut right through Zane's.

"In other words, his limbs will have to be cut off. He may lose a lot of blood. Therefore, he most likely will not survive."

Zane's eyes widened, and he did not know what to say. Or feel. Or do. Why did the doctor tell him? He stayed silent, not moving a muscle. He didn't know whether hope had come or not. Ringing enveloped his ears, and he wanted to escape. Where was the Hope Juice when he needed it most?

This was worse than death. He felt isolated. He could not bear this. It was too much.

Zane's grip loosened on Nya, and he fell forward and out of his wheelchair paralyzed, his metal body slamming onto the linoleum floor.

Then, everything went black.

**(I literally cried my heart out while writing the last part of this chapter. What have I done? But it had to be written. Poor children!**

**To make you happier, I was watching Ninjago Episode 51 [I think], and Kai says the exact same quote Sensei says! Talk about foreshadowing. What a coincidence. Wait, I talked about Kai. Guys, I'm really, really sorry.**

**Sorry if my updates are infrequent. It's just that I've never really found time to update. Please rate and review!**

**Al̶s̶o̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶n̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶K̶a̶y̶t̶a̶k̶e̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶f̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶T̶r̶u̶e̶ ̶G̶r̶i̶t̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶A̶s̶t̶r̶i̶d̶1̶6̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶n̶a̶m̶e̶.̶ ̶I̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶c̶k̶.̶ ̶K̶u̶d̶o̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶w̶e̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶n̶a̶m̶e̶!̶ I changed the names to reflect season 7. Thanks to Astrid16 for the old name!)**


	4. Reignited Passion

_Chapter 4: Reignited Passion_

**(Hey guys! Just a heads up that this chapter is primarily going to be about Kai's and Zane's past. Oh, there's still a lot unexplained. What happened between the rest of the year of Kai and Zane being eleven? After the fire? Here are (some of) your long-awaited answers! FINALLY I was able to past this- yay!)**

Past

Zane's eyes suddenly fluttered open. He looked around and saw he was on a medical bed again… and the same nurse was standing over him.

"Re-admitted ten minutes after discharge. Wow, that must be a record," she joked, seeing Zane had recovered fully.

"Oh. Ha-ha," Zane replied.

"You'll be discharged again once we've checked that you're behaving okay. If you aren't, well, we'll discharge you anyway so your father can fix you. You're technically okay by our standards, but we're still required to check you."

"O-ok," Zane agreed, sitting up on the bed.

Back in the waiting room, Dr. Julien decided that he would stay at the hotel right next to the hospital until what had to be done was done. Nya agreed with him in silence; together, they sat in the room, without speaking a word.

Ten minutes later, Zane was wheeled in on a wheelchair and was stopped next to his father.

"How did it go?" Dr. Julien asked.

"They discharged me exactly nine minutes, thirty-five seconds and one hundred milliseconds after I woke up," the android replied.

"That's good!" Nya said. Then, catching sight of the deathly emergency ward door, she looked down. "But… but… will he really make it?"

Zane was struck once again with sadness. Julien put an arm around them both.

"Time will tell," he said. "And if he does make it, then I have something to help him in life as well." He smiled a little.

"Father, what is it?" Zane asked, gasping.

"I don't want to give it away. I'm going home for a little bit and coming back. Why don't you two head over to the pediatrics playground and be there until I come back? It will, at most, take an hour. Be good children until then, will you?"

"Yes father," Zane replied.

"Yes uncle," Nya followed.

"Thank you, sweethearts. I'll be off then." He winked to try to alleviate their current mood, and walked away. Zane and Nya turned the other direction and walked towards the pediatric playground. It was behind another set of double doors- but this time, the doors were decorated with an aquatic theme- and met the receptionist.

"Hello, welcome to Pediatric Play! How can I help you?"she asked warmly.

"We'd like to enter, please," Zane replied. The two children held out their pediatric wristbands.

"Of course!" she replied, opening one of the double doors. "Have fun!"

Nya and Zane walked in and breathed in with awe.

The play center was huge; it featured three large slides, some swing sets protected by gates, a coloring booth, secret passages, monkey bars, and more- picture a playground combined with an indoor play area- and it was all aquatic themed. Helpers were stationed at various places in the play place. It was even divided into areas based on the child's age and needs. It was like being in a mini kiddie theme park. There were many, many kids from ages 5-12 playing inside.

But what awed them most was how different the kids were. A few of the kids there looked normal; others had mental disabilities such as autism and bipolar disorder; and some of them had physical disabilities- some couldn't walk without assistance from a walker, some had prosthetics, and others were in wheelchairs. What surprised Zane and Nya most of all was that despite their disabilities, all the kids were playing with happiness and harmony.

"Wow," Nya murmured.

"It seems this play area is aquatic themed as the color palette used for it is calming and puts one at ease," Zane concurred. "It's beautiful isn't it Nya- wait! Nya!" She had started running towards a slide.

"I love slides!" Nya yelled. "And this one looks awesome!"

"Nya, please come back here!" Zane shouted.

But it was too late. Nya had disappeared into the play structure. Zane sighed and decided to let her play there, and went to the coloring booth. He picked out a piece of white paper and a pencil, sat at an empty table, and started to draw. He began by drawing Frosty Samurai. Then he clothed him in his white and periwinkle _gi _and armor; finally he colored the background; a war scene.

A kid in prosthetics caught sight of Zane's picture and came over to the empty table. "Hey, is that Frosty Samurai?" he asked.

"Indeed it is," Zane answered.

"Whoa, that looks really cool!" he said in delight. "He's my favorite, too."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You know, you draw really well. How do you do it?"

"I can show you if you wish," Zane answered.

"That would be great!" the kid answered.

"Okay, let's start… Oh, I forgot to ask. What is your name?"

"Me? My name is Conan," he replied, holding out his prosthetic hand. "I'm eleven."

"My name is Zane, and I am also eleven. It is a pleasure to meet you." As he shook Conan's prosthetic hand, it reminded him of Kai, who would have a prosthetic arm if he survived, and Zane held back tears as he thought of him at this state.

"What's wrong, Zane?" Conan queried, sensing something was wrong with him.

Zane shook it off. "It's nothing," he replied. "Now, let's get started…"

Nya had played on the slide for a while before she found a secret passage. This one was hidden, and behind the slide she had just been on. She crawled into it and closed the trap door behind her. It was big enough to crawl through, and it was very dark, and (unfortunately for her) Nya's Nyctophobia (fear of the dark) washed over her. Cautiously, she crawled forward one step. Then another. Finally, she found a little hollow and began to cry. Why did her brother-her very own brother- have to be in the dank, morbid operation room? Why him?

"Why are you crying?" a voice asked.

Nya's primary reaction was to swat out at the person in the darkness. Her hand actually connected with the person and she hit them. "G-go away!" Nya screamed.

"Oowwwwieeeee… that hurt…" the person said. She sounded like a girl around Nya's age.

Nya immediately receded even further into the hollow. "I-I'm very sorry!"

"It's-it's okay, I guess," the other girl said, sniffling. Suddenly, there was a burst of artificial light, and she could see the girl clearly. She had two brown braids on either side of her head, and she had one blue eye. The other was covered up by a patch. She also had a prosthetic leg, clanking along the plastic corridor.

"Ah! G-get away from me…" Nya said in fear.

"I-I don't want to hurt you," the other girl said. "I just heard crying, then I came across you. You don't have anything ailing you. So… why?"

"I do, but it's mental," Nya replied. "It's called… trauma."

"What's that?"

"I don't know," Nya said, shaking her head. Then she pointed at the girl's eye. "What happened?" she asked.

"It's a long, long, long story!" she said, with a smile. She dimmed the flashlight.

"I'm Reilly!"

"Reilly… huh?" Nya said.

"Yeah. Reilly! And you are…?"

"Nya. Nya Smith."

"Nice to meet you, Nya Smith!"

"You don't have to say my last name!"

Reilly and Nya had walked outside the secret passage and were now sitting on benches. "So, what are you here for?" Reilly straightaway asked.

"My… my… my brother," she replied.

"Oh," Reilly replied. "I'm here with my brother, too. His name is Conan. He likes to draw, because he's grateful he can do it with his prosthetic hand. Me, I like to run, since I'm grateful for my leg."

She suddenly quieted down.

"Sorry Nya Smith, but I… I need to tell you this, I guess…"

"Tell me what? And it's just Nya!"

"How this happened to me, I mean."

Nya gasped a little. "But… why? We just met!"

"You seem so understanding of people! I know it. And you're my age. You will understand me. That's why I need to tell you."

"But-"

"Please!"

Nya sighed for a moment. "All right," she said. "But there is a catch. You have to listen to my story too."

Reilly grinned a little bit. "Of course, Nya Smith! I'll listen to your story too, no matter how sad it is."

"Are you trying to annoy me or something? Just call me Nya!"

"But I _like _you calling me Nya Smith! It sounds so… jingly. Rolly. I don't know how to put it. Nya Smith. Nya Smith. _Neeeyaaa Smiiith Neeyaasmiith. _You see?"

"Gah! Now it doesn't sound like my name at all!"

Nya sighed again. "Fine. But what's your last name, anyway?"

"Kiyuno. What are you thinking of, calling me Reilly Kiyuno?"

"Actually, yes, Reilly Kiyuno. No, even better- _Reillykeyuuno."_

Reilly laughed. "Fine, fine! Just let me tell you my story. It all begins here..."

She began.

"Once upon a time…"

She paused. "No, wait, it just isn't a "once upon a time" story. Okay. More like…"

"One day… There, that suits it. One day, I was invited to my friend's party. It was at… something like Mindy's Incredible Noodles. Or was it Chen's Incredible Pizza? I don't remember. There was a bar there, near the buffet station."

Reilly stopped here to take a deep breath.

"So while we were having fun playing the arcade games in there, my parents got tempted into drinking alcohol. Not just drinking, but drinking too much of it. Conan and I played in there until our credits on our cards ran out, then we just walked around the place, scavenging for more cards. Suddenly, Conan was lucky enough to find a card with 100 credits on it on the ground. Now, what were the odds of that? So we decided to pocket it and play games with it. We played until the place closed until about midnight.

"We then realized that our parents were missing, but there they were, waiting at the edge of the arcade for us… drunk, though no one knew. My dad drove us back home, but since he was drunk he didn't realize where he was going. So he accidentally swerved and another car crashed into us, sending the car nearly over a bridge. Unfortunately, both the car doors were damaged, the seats broke, and my parent's side of the car was dangling over the edge and… and… you know what happened from there…" Reilly began to sob loudly; then her once loud cry became softer and softer until only Nya could hear her. She covered her face in her hands, and it was Nya who put Reilly's head on her shoulder, and let Reilly bawl quietly. "I'm sorry for your loss, Reilly Kiyuno," Nya said softly.

It was a while before Reilly's cries subsided and Nya tried to break up the sadness for one moment. "So… at least you and your brother came out alive, right? Though not the way you wanted to," Nya added.

Reilly wiped her tears and hiccupped. "Yeah, you could say that. I'm so happy I didn't die because I got- and still get- to see the wonders of living. And I'm so thankful I'm alive right now… I'm thankful I'm part of an orphanage with a caring headmistress, to have food to eat, a brother, being able to come here… so I could meet people like you."

Nya looked with wonder. This girl was so mature, beyond her age. She had suffered a loss and met a fate seemingly worse than her own, but she was still thankful for everything. And she was strong. _For four years, _Nya thought. _And I've been weak for almost a whole week. Punny, but I really don't care about that right now._

"Why did you bother telling me anyway?" Nya asked with wonder.

"Well, I have a job here, actually," Reilly replied. "I'm supposed to connect with people who seem to need it. Especially people my age. But don't get me wrong- I really don't know what trauma is. And I really don't want to know."

"It's what you had just now," Nya said.

"I-is that so?" Reilly asked. "Oh. It feels painful. As if someone had stabbed a spear through my heart."

Nya looked away for a moment. Here she was, talking to a special needs girl who really didn't seem like special needs, who could express her emotions perfectly. Here she was, being sort of like a therapist. Was she supposed to come to her?

"Y-you might be getting the wrong idea. I really didn't come to you on purpose, I guess! I mean-!"

Nya grinned and put her hand over Reilly's mouth. "Nah, I won't say anything. I've gotta tell you my story first anyway."

"That's right, Nya Smith!" Reilly said, after Nya took her hand away. "Okay, you can tell me now."

So Nya started her story- from the time Zane came over to the house where she first saw him to the other playdate, a few years later, when the fire happened, when Nya's mother dropped her out, to when she realized Kai could die.

"So he's in the operation room and… he… might… just…!" Her words were interrupted by sobs finding their way into her throat, and after a small choke, she let it out. "I'm so scaared… what's gonna happen to him?"

To this question…

The other little girl only smiled, and laid a shoulder on Nya.

"He'll be okay," she began.

"H-huh?"

"He'll be okay. I'm being completely honest here. I'm not trying to reassure you because he might die. I'm telling the truth. He'll make it out alive. I think it may not have been the fire capturing him… but him capturing the fire."

"That's unrealistic-"she started. Then she stopped and remembered Fiery Samurai. He discovered his power over the flames when he ran in to save a woman from a burning 10-story building. Bare. _And he escaped unharmed._

_It may be unrealistic, but maybe it can actually happen. Maybe he can pull through, like Fiery Samurai did. And he'll find a new power. Something…_

Suddenly… Reilly pushed her towards the slide. "Ga-aah!" Nya nearly tripped.

"H-hey, what was that for!?"

"You had the face of Plato there," Reilly teased. "Don't act like an olll-die." She ran to the ladder of the slides.

"Hey, wait!" Nya yelled. "I'll get you back for that!"

"No. That isn't it."

A hand picked up an eraser and rubbed out Frosty Samurai's eye on the white printer paper. It picked up the pencil and redrew it.

"No, not this either." The process repeated.

"Do you need help?" Zane asked.

"N-no! I'm fine! I can draw this. Just-"

"You clearly look like you're struggling."

Conan sighed. "Ack, fine. So, what am I doing wrong?"

"The eye is like this…" Zane drew one of the eyes on the paper. It was perfectly well-rounded. The eye looked icy even before he colored it.

"Whoa… amazing!" Conan breathed. "You really do know your stuff!"

"Y-you're more amazing, drawing with your prosthetic hand," Zane replied. _He has robotic parts connected to his human body. Yet he draws as if they are one. How does he do it?_

"Ah, this? It's nothing, really. It was a result of a freak accident. Honestly, I'm lucky I survived with most of my body and my sister. My parents… weren't quite so lucky."

Zane's eyes widened a little. "Ah. I'm sorry," he replied with a somber look.

"That was a while ago, though. I'm over it now. But Reilly cries a lot about it. She doesn't completely understand it, yet. Other than that, she's been very active with her leg."

"And you, with your hand," Zane noticed.

"And… done!" Conan said. He pushed a picture of Frosty Samurai over to Zane. "How do you think it looks?"

"Whoa, this is a masterpiece!" Zane gasped.

"Yeah, well… I'm not really that good… y'know, not as good as you anyway. Your drawing is so- GWAAAAAH!"

That came from a younger girl rushing full-force into him- and it was enough to run him over. She was very fast. "Oi… Reilly, what is it now?"

"Zaaaane!" Nya yelled, running to the two boys.

"Nya! You're back," Zane replied. "Is she your new friend?"

Reilly got up. "Yeppity-yep-yep! I'm Reilly Kiyuno. Nice to meet you, Zane Julien!"

Nya sweatdropped. "Not the last name again," she muttered.

"I apologize for my sister's INSENSITIVITY," Conan said, emphasizing the final word.

"Conaaan…" Reilly whined. "Well, at least you know who this SNIVELISH person is."

"Like I said earlier, please forgive her," Conan added. "And snivelish isn't even a real word!"

"It should be," Reilly teased.

Nya burst out into laugher. "You two are so funny!"

_Yeah, they are, _Zane thought. _Just like Nya and…_

In a flash, Zane felt numb, as his essence disconnected from his body.

…_Kai._

Suddenly, his logic and "emotions" began to mix into one.

They started a war.

_Kai can survive! He can be with his sister!_

_No, he can't. It's physically impossible._

_Let hope prevail!_

_Logic oversees it all._

_Kai can do this! He's my brother! My cousin! He must live! He lives for me, Nya, and everyone! He must! I need him! I CAN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT HIM!_

_No, he can't. He fell out a window from a fire, Zane Julien. He cannot live. His heartbeat mustn't be too low. He can't be in a coma. The variable pertaining to Kai's life is undefined. This shall not compute!_

_***CRITICAL SYSTEM WARNING: Main emotional and logical parameters are failing. These failures are crucial to your life. Solution: Terminate the program. Ending logic and emotions program in three seconds. 3… ***_

_TERMINATE ME? NO… THIS CAN'T BE! I NEED TO BE THERE FOR HIM! I NEED TO MAKE SURE HE LIVES AGAIN! _

_This is the only way you can survive, Zane. Would you kill yourself for him?_

_***…2 ***_

_KAI IS MY OLDER BROTHER! I CAN'T TERMINATE MYSELF!_

_You must._

_***…1 ***_

At this point, Zane had fallen to his hands and knees, and his eyes immediately lost their shine.

_He… wanted… me… to… live… so… I… must… live! Or… I… will… be… ryjtyuf… uiginiuhm… of4h3rif… ri3ofh3ru… uhn3ifms3o…_

_***…0. ***_

Zane saw utter blackness.

***Termination successful. Now activating emergency shut-down in 5… 4… 3… 2…1… ***

It was here, that Zane lost himself, and saw an utter silence.

***Good-bye, ZANE. ***

Present

Zane gasped for breath as he rose jauntily from his sleeping bag. He took many shallow, small breaths as he tried to recollect himself.

"What… was that just now?" he whispered to himself.

Somehow, he managed to wake Kai up with him. "Ugh, what happened now? Bad dream?"

"Y… yes, Kai. It was a nightmare."

"What happened? Did someone die? Or was someone so close to dying that you were traumatized?"

"I… I…" Zane searched all areas of his memory. But the dream was nowhere to be remembered. "I cannot recall."

"Zane, this is our third day on our journey to Ignacia. You've been getting nightmares ever since. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Zane sighed.

"I hope."

**(HOLY CRAP! What did I just write? I'm just… speechless… O_o**

…

…

…

**Shoot…**

**Uh… shee y'all in the nexth epissode! **

…**if me can bring myshelf to writit. X_X)**


	5. The Way There

_Chapter 5: The Way There_

Present

It was after the two had eaten breakfast (sunny-side up bird eggs {cooked on the burning hot ground with a pan} and sprouts) that Kai and Zane continued their long walk north to Ignacia. "Wow, I didn't know Ignacia was this far away by foot…" Kai moaned. "If we had our dragons, it would take us thirty minutes to get here. Thirty minutes!"

"You're starting to sound like Jay," Zane observed.

"Meh, maybe it's the heat getting to me," Kai replied. "Hey, when is the next village? We're running low on all of our provisions!"

"According to my internal GPS system, the next village is still another seven miles from here. It will take us at least an hour and a half nonstop to reach there. We'll reach by brunch. Also, how can heat get to the Master of Fire?"

"Oh, goody. And I don't know, it just can. Honestly, I wish we had the Golden Weapons with us right now. We could have used those to use our vehicles."

"We do have our Elemental Blades, however," Zane replied.

Kai sighed. "Maybe we can save on buying water. Zane, I have an idea. Take your Elemental Blade and canteen out."

"Very well." Zane unsheathed his Blade and the canteen. Kai unsheathed and raised his blade and canteen. Kai and Zane placed their canteens on the ground side by side. "Okay, on the count of three, we're going to touch our blades together. One... two... three." The Fire and Ice Elemental blades touched together at the tips. A tiny sizzle could be heard at first- then a trickle of steaming hot water flowed from where the Blades touched into the canteens.

"How ingenious," Zane complimented. "The only problem is the water's temperature. It would have been better if the water was cooler. We are amid the Sea of Sand. It's very warm."

"I agree, but it's going to be our only source of water until we get to the village." Kai took a sip out of his now filled canteen. "It's about the same temperature of Sensei's tea," Kai commented. "I swear, my throat will be worn away by the time we get to the next village."

"Perhaps I could use my Elemental Blade to cool the water-"

"That might use up your power, Zane. Don't bother."

"We could add ice into the canteens and let it-"

"That would take too long," Kai interjected.

"Then what else could make the water cooler?" Zane wondered aloud.

"Ugh, I don't have any ideas! I really wish we still had our Golden Weapons. They would have helped us so much-"

"It is my turn to interject. Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. It is best to not muse about what we have already lost, worry about what will happen in the future, but to focus on what we have right now. We have our Elemental Blades. We should make good use of them," Zane scolded.

"Now you sound like Sensei. Man, the heat is really getting to me. Okay. How long will this walk take anyway?"

"We will reach by fifteen past noon. It will take us about two hours to reach."

"And that's just for the next village, not even Ignacia. Damn."

Then he stopped.

"Wait, but you said it would take one and a half hours to get there first!" Kai realized.

"If I recall correctly, I said it would take us one and a half hours _nonstop_ to get there. Not even a Nindroid can go nonstop in this heat. And if you're going to ask why I said _brunch, _do you consider one robin egg and sprouts breakfast? You couldn't even digest _half _of your egg before your stomach started hurting. And please do not get me started on the sprouts," Zane pointed out.

"Ugh, that was the worst," Kai admitted. "Thank Ninjago the mother robin didn't ambush me while I grabbed them from the nest."

"Yes. A terrible idea in the whole," Zane muttered.

Switching the subject, Kai began, "I wonder how everyone else is doing off right now. They're all probably at least getting somewhere. Lloyd's probably helping the customers like heck right now. Cole's probably out dancing and collecting a crowd. And Nya and Jay... well, who knows what those two are up to."

"So, your point is that while everyone else is being productive, we are wandering about in the middle of nowhere," Zane concluded.

"Exactly," Kai said.

Zane sighed. "And here I thought Jay was the only one who complained."

"I-I'm not complaining!" Kai protested. "I'm just- uh, thinking about the others like a teammate would!"

"Never mind," Zane muttered. "Anyway, Kai, I do need to tell you something. It's about the nightmares I've gotten."

Kai gave Zane a sideways look. "Well, what about it?" He asked.

"They are, in the sense, weird nightmares. These I remember very little of. One was about a burning house. Another was in a hospital. A third was in a playroom. And a fourth..."

Zane remained quiet.

"The fourth?" Kai asked proddingly. "Let me guess- it completely escaped you. Fine. Tell me about the other three dreams, then."

"It's- it's all I remember," Zane answered.

"They were probably not important, then," Kai hypothesized.

"They were," Zane insisted.

"Can't we keep this for later?"

"No. I just remembered the setting of the fourth dream," Zane said.

He paused.

"It is... in the hollow in Birchwood Forest."

Past

Zane found his eyes fluttering open a third time. This time, it wasn't in the hospital. He groggily pulled himself up and looked around. In a few seconds, he concluded he'd arrived back home. He saw Nya beside him.

"...ane! ZANE! You're alive!" She cried.

"I am... functioning?" Zane asked.

"Yes!" Nya shouted, throwing a hug around Zane.

"Ooof..." Zane managed. "I thought I would never wake up again."

Zane looked around again.

"Where... where is Father?" He asked.

"Oh... uh... he's at the hospital right now," Nya replied. "He's still-"

Before Nya could finish her sentence, the cordless landline on the coffee table began to ring. "I-I'll get it," Nya offered, quickly running to the phone and snatching it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Nya, is that you?"

Nya's heart began to race at the very moment she heard his voice. "D-Dr. Julien!" she gasped. "What happened?"

It was as if Zane's body was given a faster processor, and he ran straight to the phone. "F-father?" he squeaked.

"Yes, Zane, it's me," the Doctor replied. "I have news to share… both good and sad news, about Kai. That is, if the two of you are ready to hear it. The sad news will have to come first."

Zane decided to stay solemn this time. He didn't want to go awry again. He'd just have to take the sad news with a pinch of salt. _But is it really that simple?_ Zane thought.

"The sad news is… Kai is… dead."

Suddenly, Zane went mute. Blind. Deaf. Senseless. He had collapsed twice when he had thought about him. His brother. Forget that they were biological cousins. But this… this was different. Zane suddenly felt two feelings in his module fighting for power in a never-ending battle: despair, because his loved brother was _gone_ and _he_ had survived the fire. The other feeling was relief, relief that Kai was released from the continuous suffering he had been through from the fire.

His processor stopped, and Zane began to heat up. This was something he simply couldn't compute.

At all.

Zane's blurry eyes stopped at Nya, now next to him. She looked as dead as Zane himself was.

"I… I'm sorry, Zane-" Julien started.

"No Father, it's fine. He died a noble death befitting his character."

"Well… there is good news too, remember."

"No news will match the sad news," Nya commented.

The two could hear Julien sigh on the other end. "Nya, sweetheart, I need to speak to Zane in private. Would you mind stepping away? You can play with Zane's toys."

Before Zane could protest- after all, those were the toys he and Kai had played with- Nya complied, running towards the android's room.

Zane sat down in his father's easy chair and pulled the receiver closer to his ear. "Father, what is it?"

"There is much to tell, and not much time to act. I wanted to wait this off until you were older, but it seems like you might have already reached that time. Zane, listen.

"Your mother was a very sweet woman. I married her thirteen years back. Before we knew it… she had you."

Zane wanted to drop his phone. "M-ME?"

"The fact that I created you isn't entirely false. But it's not entirely true either, as you've learned."

_Amazing, more news to heat up my processor. At this rate, I'll faint again. _Zane worried.

"It was when you were two years old when _it_ happened. Your mother was making your favorite corn soup for dinner. That moment, the phone began to ring- it was May- Mrs. Smith. I was in the easy chair. While your mother had come with me, you'd wandered into the kitchen. You must've smelt the delicious corn soup and wanted a drink so badly. It was your first light of happiness after the Ninjagian Depression. The next thing we knew, you were in the same place Kai was- in the emergency room, and we were crying in your place. You had died of third-degree burns."

It was almost a full minute before Zane had managed anything. Finally, he managed,

"M…me? Dead?"

Julien sighed and sniffled. "Yes."

Regaining his composure, he added, "But then… hope came along."

Zane's eyes widened at the word. "Hope?"

Julien continued. "While it would have been impossible for your body to be used as a vessel, your soul- yes, Zane, _your soul- _had escaped unscathed. I was one such person who could see souls. Something I inherited from the family. And while we were at your funeral, I could sense it- your soul, flying right by your tiny coffin.

"Normally, the soul dissipates as soon as it leaves the body. However, your soul was forced out of your vessel- Zane, _you swerved from your fate. _That's why I could capture your soul before we left, in a special little glass jar."

"How do souls have anything to do with this!?" Zane asked impatiently. Just where was all the "good" in this?

"I'm not finished," Julien interjected. "Your mother, unfortunately, died a day after the funeral was conducted. Yet, those traumatic events somehow _inspired_ me. Inspired me to recreate someone, to right my wrongs. Inspired me to rebuild _you._

"For the next year, you became my biggest and only project. Day by day, I pored over different blueprints, manuals, tools, and parts, trying to build an artificial human that resembled you. Whenever I wanted to give up, I would hear the voices of your soul from the glass jar and remember your smiling, happy face…"

Julien sniffled again.

"Then, right on the day of your death, I finally finished you. I had invented the Solce- a power source that was empowered further by a human soul. With all my might, I opened the jar and trapped your energetic soul into the Solce, and then connected the Solce to your new, metallic vessel. And then… you rose again, yet even calmer and more curious than before. It was as if something had _powered _your soul- so it didn't dissipate for that year."

Zane had no more words. He remained silent on the other end. A tear had begun to roll down his face. So that was what he truly was- a _replacement for another human._

"Zane, you might be thinking you're just a replacement." Zane jumped as his father read his thoughts. "But perhaps it was the Solce- the _only _Solce- that made you more unique than you had been before. That made you more special, but also made me more worried. You see, if the Solce suffered major damage, like those third-degree burns, it would burst apart and kill you, and who knows what would happen to your soul. I _had _to watch you."

Another pocket of silence.

"But today, you have a cho-"

"I know."

On the other end, Julien's hand gripped the phone with surprise. "W-what?"

"You want to risk extracting the Solce from my body."

Julien choked up. "I- well- yes. With this, we can manipulate Kai's soul, who's also escaped from his body prematurely, back into his body, with another secure Solce I've invented- adaptable to a human's body, as his vessel can be used. It's a huge risk, however. I- we- might lose either one or both of you… again."

Silence.

"I yield."

Silence.

"WHAT!?" Julien yelped.

"Father, I yield."

Silence.

"S-son, you have no IDEA what it could do to you!"

"If nothing else, hope is still with us. Hope will bring us both back." Zane said bravely.

Once more, silence. A seemingly eternal silence, invoked by the power of Zane's words.

Present

"Hey Zane, look! That's Igneruvate Volcano!"

They'd finally arrived.

"Z-Zane?"

Silence.

"Oh, sorry," Zane replied, snapping back to reality. "I was thinking about my dreams again."

"Well, any luck?"

Zane shook his head.

"Okay, you're not gonna get anywhere just thinking like that. Just stop thinking about it!"

"Kai, I _cannot. _Normally, I'd be able to put this on the back computer, but this is too pressing a matter. What if they're related with our memory loss?"

"That's all the more of a reason to stop!" Kai said stubbornly. "You might come upon a false conclusion."

Kai stared at the ground.

"Like how I was fixated on being the Green Ninja."

Zane groaned. "You're thinking about that again? I thought you'd gotten over it months ago!"

"I can never get over that, Zane. Never," the fire ninja murmured.

"Anyway," Zane started, changing the subject. "Where is Four Weapons? What street? We've passed the entry sign into Ignacia."

Kai snapped back up. "Oh- uh, yeah. About that. Ignacia doesn't _have _streets. It's a village. Four Weapons is in the fourth canton, right wing."

Zane looked confused. "Canton? That means, 'a subdivision of a country established for political or administrative purposes.' This is not a country. Also, wing refers to-"

"Ugh, just stick with it, okay? That's what we Ignacians call it."

The nindroid sighed. "Very well. Fourth canton, right wing."

"I'll explain: Ignacia is organized like the four-leaf clover. It's said to bring faith, hope, love, and luck to the village. Nya and I think our father built Four Weapons in the fourth canton, the canton of luck, due to its namesake. But… well, it really did nothing- for me, at least."

Zane put an arm around Kai. "It's just because you're too impatient to see the fruits you might have grown. You would've made a fine blacksmith."

Kai pushed Zane's arm away. "What do _you _know? You've never lived with me."

"I apologize. I was only trying to be encouraging."

"Never mind. Look, we've come to Charcoal Central."

They had. Charcoal Central seemed to be bursting with activity, as well. People wheelbarrowed their fruits, cookware, appliances, vegetables- anything that could be sold in the market. However, there was one thing that many people carried no matter what: charcoal.

"Charcoal is very important to Ignacia. Without it, we wouldn't be able to cook, create, earn money- it's the backbone of Ignacia. That's why it's Charcoal Center."

"Wow," Zane murmured.

"Hey, we can come back later," Kai chided. "Look, the fourth canton is northwest in relation to us. Let's go."

"Very well," Zane agreed.

Approaching the outskirts of the fourth canton, Kai began, "I wonder why Wu made us come here, if he knows I'm so bad at smiting weapons."

Zane looked up into the now peach-colored sky. "Who knows. There must be a good reason why he made us come here. Maybe it's for training. Maybe he wants us to see what it's like to be a normal worker. Or maybe, just maybe- it's a clue to our pasts."

The red ninja chuckled. "Maybe… just maybe. Oh look, we've reached."

The two stopped at the newer, twice-renovated smith shop, donning red and black charcoal-stained walls, boasting metal-plated doors, and standing stronger and taller than ever.

"Welcome," Kai declared, "to Four Weapons Blacksmith!"

**(AHHHH! Sorry I haven't updated in SO LONG! _ I'd like to thank high school for providing me an AP class and three Honors classes to dabble my time on, and prevent me from updating this piece. **

**I found some inconsistencies in earlier chapters, so I'm replacing them with updated versions. Hopefully that should iron it all out! **

**Ugh, AP testing in FOUR WEEKS and school ending early June! That means I might not post for a long time. AGAIN. [I can only post cuz it's Spring Break.] **

**I should've been catching up on my homework right now, but I lost track of time and did this instead! I have to outline 95 pages of AP European History from the textbook (I don't like the class too much; mainly because I can't understand history), do a Spanish III essay (boring), and study acids for Honors Chemistry (but I like science tho, and I know my polyatomic ions, so I'm good. :3). **

**If you're not in high school, you've been warned. If you are, anyone else in the same boat? **

**Anyway, this chapter took FOREVER to write, mainly because the word document didn't update on my computer. Hope you liked it! I'll try posting Chapter 6 as soon as I can, but I can't make any guarantees. Not just yet.**

**Anyways, enjoy, and ninja-OUT!)**


	6. Welcome, Fate and Destiny

_Chapter 6: Welcome, Fate and Destiny_

Present

Canton two, left wing: There happened to be a modest grocery store. At least, it _looked _modest, from the outside anyway. However, entry into the shop revealed a whole other picture. The shelves were stacked to the brim with fruits and vegetables. Cans of milk, blocks of cheese, and cartons of eggs lined the refrigerators. If one sniffed closely, they could smell chicken and beef curing in the meat storeroom, at the back of the shop. Customers buzzed around the shop, plucking the choicest of each item and placing each bag gently into straw baskets.

At last, the customers lined up to purchase their goods. Three of three counters opened, treating each customer kindly and helping them out wherever they could.

"Thank you for coming!" the girl in counter 1 cheered with a grin on her face. "See you tomorrow!"

"Thank you, Ms. Kiyuno, sweet as always," the old lady who she'd helped replied. "Same to you."

At the very end of that counter, Zane Julien also stood, three baskets full of food. _Of course, Kai gives me the job of doing the groceries._

14-year-old Reilly Kiyuno greeted the next customer, a jumpy young lady, with kindness.

"Hello ma'am, how are you doing today?" Reilly asked.

"Hello yourself, Reilly," she chuckled back. "I'm doing fine. You?"

Meanwhile, Zane looked in front of him and realized he'd inadvertently made a terrible decision: there were _six_ people ahead of him in line. He began to move to counter 2; then he noticed it had suddenly closed. Looking at the time, Zane realized the shop was five minutes past closing time.

_Oh dear, _Zane inwardly moaned. _This is going to take quite a while._

* * *

_TANG, TANG, TANG!_

"To forge the perfect weapon, you first need the right metal and plenty of heat."

_HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!_

"Cool it off, and…"

_Splish!_

"…presto!"

A warped sword.

"Seriously? AGAIN!?" the blacksmith shouted in disgust. "Ugh! Come on, Kai, make it work!"

Kai grabbed the hot hammer and began hitting the twisted sword with all his might. Unfortunately, that did nothing but warp it even further.

"DAMNIT!" Kai yelled. "I may have become the master of fire, but my blacksmith skills haven't improved a bit! AUGH!" he grunted, throwing the disfigured sword against a shield on the wall.

Immediately, the shield fell to the floor with a _CLANG! _

And Kai became startled. Not at the fact that he'd just dented one of his father's shields; but because of what was behind it: a camouflaged door.

"Hey, I don't remember this being here at all!" Kai said to himself. "I wonder what's inside!"

So, Kai grabbed the ebony handle and pushed the door. The door swung open with ease… also releasing a wave of charcoal dust.

"A…aaaaCHOO!" the fire ninja sneezed. "This place REALLY needs a deep clean." He stepped inside the secret room, and found it was dark.

"Ow!" Kai yelped, stubbing his toe. "Light switch, light switch…" He fumbled around the adjacent wall until he felt something grooved, and pressed it. A single lightbulb flickered to life…though it didn't give off too much light, as it was covered by…

"Yep, there's charcoal everywhere," Kai concluded. He reached out towards the dim lightbulb and flicked it, immediately blowing dust everywhere.

"ACHOO!" Kai sneezed again. "Sheesh, I'm gonna ask Zane to clean this place when he gets back." Kai looked around, and almost immediately, his attention was attracted to a bronze chest. Kai immediately walked towards it and wiped off the dust on the top. There was a single, red ruby encrusted on the top, and upon closer inspection, Kai could see an emblem.

_His father's emblem._

The fire ninja's heart skipped a beat. _What was he trying to hide? _Kai wondered. He found the lock, which had the same emblem as on the top of the chest. Of course, like any other lock, it required a key.

Suddenly, Kai had a flash.

"Wait… no way! Could it be _that _key…?"

He raced up the stairs towards his room without stopping to observe it. Heart pounding, he sprinted towards his nightstand, opened the drawer, and…

The key was still there.

Kai didn't even know how long it had been there- he'd even considered melting it at one point, to make a part of a Swiss army knife. The only thing that stopped him was the same emblem that was on the chest and lock. His father had made that intricate key, and even soldering it would be like soldering the last of his existence.

Racing down to the room once again, key in hand, Kai felt the tension build inside of him. He found the chest once again, knelt, and quickly inserted the key in the lock. The lock, after some jiggling, pulled down as quickly as Kai could swing the Sword of Fire. Yet after throwing the lock to aside (and hearing it ring across the rocky ground), Kai's hands slowed and moved gently as it caressed the lip of the chest. Ever so slowly, he pushed the lid of the chest up and open, and what he saw next fascinated him more.

No. Not in the mysterious way. Not _that _way.

Because in the chest…

_Another _swirly sword.

Kai picked the sword by the handle and swing it around a few times. _Huh? This is even worse than the sword I just made! Heck, maybe this was my first sword ever. It's no use. It's just a memoir._

Kai was about to place the sword back into the chest when he noticed two more peculiar things. They also happened to be symbols. One was a symbol of fire, at the front end of the hilt. On the backside, there was, curiously enough, a snowflake symbol. _A symbol of ice? _On the flat end of the hilt was his father's symbol again.

With shaking hands, Kai put the sword on the ground. Noticing a note at the very bottom of the chest, Kai pulled it out, unfolded it, and began to read:

_**My dearest son,**_

_**By the time you read this note, I expect destiny has taken you away from Ignacia, and then placed you here, again. I trust that Wu has mentored you well. **_

_Wait,_ Kai realized. _Sure, he knows Wu, but how does he know he's my sensei?_ He kept reading:

_**There's so much I wanted to tell you; but of course, we can only try to predict the future. Rest assured, I would be telling you the exact same words had I been alive. Of course, assuming you've picked this note up and I'm dead.**_

_**The sword you have found is for you, and you alone. Now, I know you might be a bit angered- after all, it's just like the bent swords you've made up to this point. (By the way, there was no way you could make a perfect sword out of the alloy you created. You need to add some tin.)**_

Kai slapped his forehead. Of course. He needed more malleability in his weapon. _Why couldn't Dad have told me that earlier?_

_**But rest assured- I've crafted this sword that way, for a reason. The sword has powers infused within it- like another soul, if you will, that has all power but no voice. It might be like the Spinjitzu you have unlocked, and the fire you have found inside of you. Indeed, it's on the front of the hilt that you see the Flame Crest- the crest of the passion and fire that lives inside of all souls in Ninjago. Perfectly suited towards you.**_

_**However, turn the sword over, and you'll find something peculiar. That is the Shard Crest- the crest of the strong, cool ice that exists in all souls in Ninjago. **_

_**When you were little, you enjoyed watching Samurai with such powers. The Fiery and Frosty Samurai worked the best together, despite their differences, and were the ones who ended the Cursed, forever. The Cursed- the old legend, said to be the strongest evil Ninjago can ever bear.**_

_What? Samurai? Does my dad mean Nya? I don't get it at all! _Kai thought exasperatedly. _I don't remember anything about samurai! _

_**Yet similarly, there is a certain power that exists when Fire and Ice are together. Something so powerful, that even the Cursed shy away from. Yes, Kai- the Cursed is real, and they are rising **__**as you read this letter.**_

Kai almost lost his words. _Another evil? Now? But why? How? I thought the Overlord was gone! Evil dispersed! Lloyd should've defeated it for at least the next decade!_

The letter ended:

_**To tell you the truth, I never worked well with the Master of Ice myself. Yet, I know you can make it happen. You can combine forces together and destroy the old, untold prophecy- the prophecy of the Cursed.**_

_**So, go! Sword and shuriken. I have only a few more words to say: Kai Smith, your destiny begins NOW!**_

_** Always with you,**_

_** Dad**_

Kai ended the letter more confused than anxious. _Is he saying HE's the Master of Fire? D-did he know about Zane? How? Why does the sword I have also have Ice powers? What exactly is the Cursed? What-_

Kai's thoughts were distracted by a final gleam in the chest: a pair of shuriken, with the same symbols as the sword. Underneath it, the letter J was carved.

Kai somehow immediately knew what it meant.

_Julien._

* * *

7:20. Zane was almost at the front of the line. Just a few more items, and he'd be next.

Finally, the girl smiled. "Thank you, Miss Miho! Have an awesome night!"

"Thank you, love!"

Quickly, Reilly began weighing Zane's items on her scale, and wrote it down on the receipt paper. Midway, she looked up,

"Oh, geez, my bad! I forgot to say hello! You're the last customer, right?"

"I believe so," Zane replied tensely.

"You look new around these parts. What's your name?" Reilly asked.

"My name is Zane. Zane Julien."

Reilly stopped. "Hmmm… Zane Julien. I've heard of that name before. Do I know you?" She peered into Zane's eyes, as if they'd tell her the answer.

"Well, uh," Zane began. "I apologize. I don't believe I know you."

"Ha-ha, why did I ever think that? Sorry, you just look so familiar, it creeps me out a bit."

_Now that I think about it, that girl seems familiar to me as well. But why can't I remember who she is?_

Zane looked at the clock. It was 7:30 now. "It's 7:30 on a Sunday night. You don't mind helping the customers?"

Reilly smiled. "It's no biggie. I can handle it all. Whenever I go to school, I just work part- time. I'm starting my last year tomorrow. Conan doesn't go to school- he manages the shop."

"Conan?" Zane repeated. _Why does that name seem almost more familiar than her?_

"Oh, he's my brother. He's around your age, I think. He's fifteen. I'm Reilly Kiyuno. I'm fourteen."

_Kiyuno. That last name is strikingly familiar… but why can't I remember who she is?_

"Well, that's the last of your items!" Reilly said, changing the subject. "That will be 50 bronze studs, please."

Zane drew the currency from his pocket. Reilly counted each stud carefully, then put it in the organizer. "If you want the straw basket to take the groceries home, go ahead and take it. Just bring it back tomorrow," she offered.

"That would be wonderful, thank you." Zane began loading the paper bags into the basket. With each bag inside, Zane could only wonder how so many heavy bags could fit in such a thinly woven basket.

"It's made of special fibers that are hard to break," Reilly said, almost reading Zane's mind. "It's charred silk. Burning silk in special charcoal dust makes it harder and more pliable, while making it more comfortable to hold.

"Ingenious," Zane complimented.

"Well, I guess I'll see you again," Reilly said happily. "Have a great rest of your night!"

"As to you," Zane replied with a smile.

As he passed out the door, a fifteen-year-old boy was walking inside. As Zane passed him, his memory flickered- then, it vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Hey Conan," Reilly greeted. "You got those files for our tourney on Saturday?"

"I did," Conan replied. He pulled ten files out of the bag and dropped them all on Reilly's counter. "'Resolved: Ninjago should ban paper packaging from all businesses.' That's the new PS debate topic. I've got five aff and five neg files."

"Great," Reilly replied. "Let's go undefeated, okay?"

"You bet!" Conan exclaimed.

"Oh yeah… I met this guy today. White-blonde hair. Pale skin, icy blue eyes. His name's Zane. He seems kinda familiar. Do you know him?"

"Maybe," the elder brother answered. "Anyway, enough focusing on that. Let's just clean up shop and go upstairs to work on the case."

"You betcha!"

* * *

_Swishh._

_Swishh._

_SwisswisswisswisSWISHH. _

"C'mon!" Kai yelled. "What power IS in this thing? Either Dad was bluffing or maybe it wasn't meant for me."

He put the swirly sword down, picked up his trusty sharp sword on his right, and did three swings of equal power. The bag split into shreds instantly, feathers flying everywhere, rocks dropping to the ground.

"How is it that a sharp sword has more power than this sword which supposedly is super powerful?" Kai said loudly. "It makes NO sense!" He picked up the sword, lifted it as he transitioned into a guard stance, and with a final, long jab, he'd annihilated the punching bag completely. It fell from the chains to the ground.

"Aw, geez," Kai muttered. "Another one broken. Maybe this will clean out the mess. Ninja-GO!" He Spinjitzued around the training room next to the basement. When he stopped, the whole place was covered with soot. That sent Kai on a sneezing spree. "A-A-ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO! AAAAAAAAAAAAACHOO!"

Tired, Kai collapsed on the sooty, peaty ground. "Hopefully, the peat will absorb all this soot," he murmured to himself. He dragged the warped sword towards him.

"What DOES this thing do, anyway?" he murmured again. "I'm not gonna stop until I figure out why the heck my dad gave THIS to me!" He stood up once again and found the last punching bag that was in the training room. He hooked it up to the chains, and picked up the other sword. Kai stood in ready stance. He began circling the bag and tried slicing It artistically, as he could do with the sharp sword. All the sword did was to swipe the bag, not producing a single mark. After a couple rounds, he stopped.

_Maybe it's just a weapon to be used without a target? _Kai thought. He moved away from the bag, and stood again in a ready stance.

"Dance of the Imperial Dragon! Ossu!" There, he began his sword form. It was probably the only sword form he thought his father taught him, as it came naturally. Kai may have been a terrible blacksmith, but he'd always been a talented swordsman. It was something even Nya couldn't do without practicing. Yet, everything just came to Kai from day 1.

Slice, slice. Forward kick. 180 degree turn, open fisted clear. Figure 8 cut pattern, 540-degree kick. Spiraling kicks, diagonal strikes down… each attack flowed crisply, with almost zero gap between each move.

What Kai also didn't notice was that the sword itself was slowly getting hotter. The space inside the sword's spiral was getting colder and colder. As the form reached its end, both Flame and Ice crests glowed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" For the final move, Kai jabbed the sword and pointed it towards the bag.

The blade glowed a bright orange, and a straight blue glow of light had appeared from inside the spiral, as if there were _two _blades in one hilt. The bag didn't just split apart- it _exploded _into fire and frigid dust, like a miniature nuclear explosion. The soot on the ground swirled off the ground into the air

With shock, Kai finally noticed the blade now glowing brightly. He looked to where the bag should have been, only to find it not there.

Kai slowly reached the middle "blade" with his finger, and immediately jumped back. It was as cold as ice. He touched the swirling blade as well- it was _burning _to the touch.

"What just happened?" he said incredulously.

"What just happened?" a voice echoed outside.

_Shoot, _Kai thought. It was Zane. Kai quickly ran back to the blacksmith forge, opened the door behind the shield, threw the sword inside the chest again, and ran back outside. Zane was running towards the door now; clearly, he suspected something had happened while he was gone.

"What happened, Kai?" Zane asked harsh with worry. "You look _very _bedraggled!"

"Oh, heh, nothing. I had a big mess-up while forging the weapons. Nothing to worry about."

Zane was quiet for a moment. "Oh… all right, then. I have the groceries. I'll begin dinner shortly. It should be ready in about half an hour… if everything works, that is." He began his way towards the kitchen.

As soon as Zane went towards the kitchen, Kai sighed in relief. _Thank Ninjago he didn't find that, _he said to himself consolingly.

Present, unknown POV

"Blossom, _laminae imbrem!" _

A couple swishes, like a sword's blade.

"G-aaaahhhh!" A sharp yelp could be heard as a figure fell to the ground, gasping in pain.

The attacker flicked the rose-adorned tip of her staff to the ground. "I see," she murmured. "I have finally succeeded creating my signature attack."

"Y-yes, ma'am," the other figure, a boy, replied. "Y-you have. And it's very powerful, too."

"Thank you for your duel, Feuille," the girl added, a sly smile on her face. "Bloom, _revocato aloes."_

The boy sighed. "Ah, thank you. I feel much better. You look happy, Miss Epine."

"Ah, always the keen observer, Feuille," she replied.

She finally grinned.

"And now… It's time that I set things straight… with _him."_

Past

While Nya had gone back to Pediatric Play, Zane was back at the very same place where he'd felt weakest, where his system first couldn't handle itself.

The emergency room entrance.

Except, Zane wasn't sitting in fear anymore, clinging on to hope. He sat straight and tall, hope imbued within him, a new confidence born within himself. Zane gripped the handles of his seat.

This time, he was ready.

The door to the emergency room, the doorway to limbo, finally swing open.

"Zane Julien? We're ready for you."

Zane got up. Dr. Julien got up as well, and tried grabbing Zane's hand.

But for the very first time, Zane refused.

"No, father. It's okay, now."

He took a deep breath, and followed the nurse, stepping past the yellow line at the foot of the door. His father came close behind.

"This time," Zane proclaimed, "I'm ready. For sure."

**(Ah, ANOTHER chapter finally out! Honestly, I'm surprised I could update so quickly. I'll update whenever I can, though. If I haven't updated, it probably means I'm studying for the AP exams. I hope you liked this chapter! I poured my soul into it.**

**Also, I REALLY appreciate reviews. They are constructive feedback that will only help make the story better. They inspire me to write, and they inspired me to continue this story. Speaking of reviews…**

**I need your help again. Which side seemed more interesting- the past or present? I'll elaborate more on the majority vote next chapter, because I could honestly write about either of them first. Whichever is not voted for, I'll go into detail for Chapter 8.**

**I'm feeling it now, and updating ASAP. Follow me on Instagram as the_ and on Tumblr as the-master-of-balance. See ya in Chapter 7! Ninja-OUT! ;D)**


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